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Bipa NJ, Stradiotti G, Righetti M, Pisaturo GR. Impacts of hydropeaking: A systematic review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169251. [PMID: 38101637 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Hydropower is commonly considered a renewable energy source. Nevertheless, this does not imply an absence of impacts on the riverine ecosystem, the extent of which is expected to increase in the coming years due to the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources and for the climate change. A common consequence of hydroelectric power generation is hydropeaking, which causes rapid and frequent fluctuations in the water flow downstream of hydropower plants. The review incorporates 155 relevant studies published up until November 2023 and follows a systematic review method, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), which is a multi-stage systematic procedure for the identification and selection of research documents. The selected studies highlighted several prominent impacts of hydropeaking on aquatic environments. The primary effects include alterations in flow patterns, modification of water temperature, changes in sediment dynamics and fluctuations in dissolved gas levels. These alterations have been found to affect various aspects of aquatic ecosystems, including fish growth, behavior, reproductive success, habitat, and migration patterns, and benthic macroinvertebrate communities. Furthermore, hydropeaking can also lead to habitat fragmentation, erosion, and loss of riparian vegetation, thereby impacting terrestrial ecosystems that depend on the aquatic environment. Despite the body of literature reviewed, several knowledge gaps were identified, underscoring the need for further research. There is limited understanding of the long-term ecological consequences of hydropeaking and its cumulative effects on aquatic ecosystems. Additionally, there is lack of consensus regarding the quantification of ecosystem services, economic impact, soil moisture content, and weighted usable area due to flow fluctuation and global evolution of energy production from renewable energy sources. Addressing the identified research gaps is crucial for achieving a balance between energy production and the conservation of freshwater ecosystems in the context of a rapidly changing global climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nusrat Jahan Bipa
- Sustainable Development and Climate Change, University School for Advanced Studies IUSS, Pavia, Italy; Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Faculty of Engineering, Universitätsplatz 5, 39100 Bolzano, Italy.
| | - Giulia Stradiotti
- Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Faculty of Engineering, Universitätsplatz 5, 39100 Bolzano, Italy.
| | - Maurizio Righetti
- Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Faculty of Engineering, Universitätsplatz 5, 39100 Bolzano, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Roberto Pisaturo
- Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Faculty of Engineering, Universitätsplatz 5, 39100 Bolzano, Italy.
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Gibeau P, Palen WJ. Impacts of run‐of‐river hydropower on coho salmon (
Oncorhynchus kisutch
): the role of density‐dependent survival. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Pascale Gibeau
- Earth to Ocean Research Group Department of Biological Sciences Simon Fraser University Burnaby British Columbia V5A 1S6 Canada
| | - Wendy J. Palen
- Earth to Ocean Research Group Department of Biological Sciences Simon Fraser University Burnaby British Columbia V5A 1S6 Canada
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Boavida I, Caetano L, Pinheiro AN. E-flows to reduce the hydropeaking impacts on the Iberian barbel (Luciobarbus bocagei) habitat. An effectiveness assessment based on the COSH Tool application. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 699:134209. [PMID: 31520946 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Hydropower plant (HPP) operations, in response to variations in market energy demand and electricity production, can generate rapid and frequent fluctuations of discharge in rivers downstream. This phenomenon, termed hydropeaking, may negatively impact fish populations. The present study aims to investigate the effects of hydropeaking on the Iberian barbel (Luciobarbus bocagei) habitat conditions. A two-dimensional (2D) model was used to obtain the habitat suitability downstream of a HPP. The influence of the ecological flow (E-flow) regime on the habitat conditions and flow fluctuations owing to hydropeaking was assessed. COSH-Tool was applied to the sub-daily flow series to quantify and characterize the rapid fluctuations (with and without an E-flow regime) with the purpose of assessing the impacts on fish habitat. The monthly distribution of peaking events showed a marked seasonal pattern associated with the Mediterranean climate, with most of the rapid fluctuations concentrated during the wet season. A peaking event occurred within three days of the low flow period. Approximately 80% of the 10-year time series returned a zero value of discharge (no power production). The median of the rates of stage (water level change during an increase or decrease of flow divided by the time of that change) resulted in 30.7 and 28.3 cm/h when the E-flow regime was not considered, and the rate of change was 26.3 and 22.4 cm/h when the E-flow regime was considered respectively for rapid increases and decreases. The flow ratio (peak flow divided by base flow) obtained for the E-flow regime was 334.3. Results showed that the hydrologic parameters associated with hydropeaking are attenuated with the E-flow regime. In certain cases, the E-flow regime should be regarded as an alternative mitigation measure for rivers subjected to hydropeaking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Boavida
- CERIS, Civil Engineering Research and Innovation for Sustainability, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Leonor Caetano
- Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - António N Pinheiro
- CERIS, Civil Engineering Research and Innovation for Sustainability, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
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Moreira M, Hayes DS, Boavida I, Schletterer M, Schmutz S, Pinheiro A. Ecologically-based criteria for hydropeaking mitigation: A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 657:1508-1522. [PMID: 30677917 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 12/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Hydroelectric power plants managed in response to sub-daily changes of the electricity market undergo rapid variations of turbine discharge, entailing quickly fluctuating water levels downstream. This operation regime, called hydropeaking, causes numerous adverse impacts on river ecosystems. The hydrological alterations which affect hydropeaking rivers can be described by five parameters that change over space and time (magnitude, rate of change, frequency, duration, and timing), where each parameter may be correlated with distinct environmental impacts and therefore may be used to define flow thresholds and set targets for operational mitigation strategies. Thus, this study aims to present an extensive review on the so far established hydropeaking targets and thresholds regarding the outputs from the scientific community as well as from national regulations. We found that only few European countries (Switzerland and Austria) have legal regulations regarding hydropeaking flow thresholds. Other countries, such as Canada and the USA, present environmental legislation that can force hydropeaking mitigation measures. Most mitigation thresholds and management recommendations in literature deal with the effect of downramping on the stranding of salmonids, as well as with minimum flows between peak-flows to avoid spawning ground desiccation. Regarding other fish species and parameters, information on mitigation targets or thresholds is scarcer or non-existent, as well as on hydropeaking mitigation case-studies, resulting in a lack of knowledge and guidelines for its implementation or regulation. Nevertheless, the available literature indicates that multiple aspects must be considered when assessing such values. Thus, to aid in that process, we propose that mitigation targets and thresholds must be based on key species, including particular features regarding season, life-stage and time of day, which must be combined with site-specific morphological characteristics. The presented approach may benefit impacted organism groups in hydropeaking reaches through the establishment of ecologically-based relevant mitigation thresholds and/or targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Moreira
- CERIS - Civil Engineering Research and Innovation for Sustainability, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Daniel S Hayes
- CEF - Forest Research Center, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, University of Lisbon, Portugal; Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Isabel Boavida
- CERIS - Civil Engineering Research and Innovation for Sustainability, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Martin Schletterer
- Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria; TIWAG - Tiroler Wasserkraft AG, Hydropower Planning Department, Group Ecology, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Stefan Schmutz
- Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - António Pinheiro
- CERIS - Civil Engineering Research and Innovation for Sustainability, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Portugal
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Abstract
Peak-operating hydropower plants are usually the energy grid’s backbone by providing flexible energy production. At the same time, hydropeaking operations are considered one of the most adverse impacts on rivers, whereby aquatic organisms and their life-history stages can be affected in many ways. Therefore, we propose specific seasonal regulations to protect ecologically sensitive life cycle stages. By reviewing hydropeaking literature, we establish a framework for hydrological mitigation based on life-history stages of salmonid fish and their relationship with key parameters of the hydrograph. During migration and spawning, flows should be kept relatively stable, and a flow cap should be implemented to prevent the dewatering of spawning grounds during intragravel life stages. While eggs may be comparably tolerant to dewatering, post-hatch stages are very vulnerable, which calls for minimizing or eliminating the duration of drawdown situations and providing adequate minimum flows. Especially emerging fry are extremely sensitive to flow fluctuations. As fish then grow in size, they become less vulnerable. Therefore, an ‘emergence window’, where stringent thresholds on ramping rates are enforced, is proposed. Furthermore, time of day, morphology, and temperature changes must be considered as they may interact with hydropeaking. We conclude that the presented mitigation framework can aid the environmental enhancement of hydropeaking rivers while maintaining flexible energy production.
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Performance of A Two-Dimensional Hydraulic Model for the Evaluation of Stranding Areas and Characterization of Rapid Fluctuations in Hydropeaking Rivers. WATER 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/w11020201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Extreme, short-duration fluctuations caused by hydropeaking occurs when hydropower is regulated to cover demand peaks in the electricity market. Such rapid dewatering processes may have a high impact on the downstream biological conditions, particularly related to stranding of fish and other species. The present work analyzes these fluctuations using a two-dimensional unsteady hydraulic modelling approach for quantification of two important hydro-morphological factors on fish stranding risk: the variation in wetted area and the dewatering ramping rate. This approach was applied on the two-kilometer-long reach of Storåne downstream of the Hol 1 power plant, where topo bathymetric LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data was available providing a high-resolution digital elevation model. Based on this model, hydraulic conditions could be simulated in high detail allowing for an accurate assessment of the hydro morphological factors. Results show the dried area distribution at different flows and dewatering ramping rates. The attenuation of the water level fluctuation due to the damping effect along the river reach controls the dewatering rate. We recommend an alternative scenario operation which can reduce the impact of the peaking operation and estimate the operational mitigation cost. We find that the modelling based on the fine resolution grid provides new opportunities in assessing effects of hydropower regulations on the ecosystem.
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Sundt-Hansen LE, Hedger RD, Ugedal O, Diserud OH, Finstad AG, Sauterleute JF, Tøfte L, Alfredsen K, Forseth T. Modelling climate change effects on Atlantic salmon: Implications for mitigation in regulated rivers. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 631-632:1005-1017. [PMID: 29727927 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.03.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Revised: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is expected to alter future temperature and discharge regimes of rivers. These regimes have a strong influence on the life history of most aquatic river species, and are key variables controlling the growth and survival of Atlantic salmon. This study explores how the future abundance of Atlantic salmon may be influenced by climate-induced changes in water temperature and discharge in a regulated river, and investigates how negative impacts in the future can be mitigated by applying different regulated discharge regimes during critical periods for salmon survival. A spatially explicit individual-based model was used to predict juvenile Atlantic salmon population abundance in a regulated river under a range of future water temperature and discharge scenarios (derived from climate data predicted by the Hadley Centre's Global Climate Model (GCM) HadAm3H and the Max Plank Institute's GCM ECHAM4), which were then compared with populations predicted under control scenarios representing past conditions. Parr abundance decreased in all future scenarios compared to the control scenarios due to reduced wetted areas (with the effect depending on climate scenario, GCM, and GCM spatial domain). To examine the potential for mitigation of climate change-induced reductions in wetted area, simulations were run with specific minimum discharge regimes. An increase in abundance of both parr and smolt occurred with an increase in the limit of minimum permitted discharge for three of the four GCM/GCM spatial domains examined. This study shows that, in regulated rivers with upstream storage capacity, negative effects of climate change on Atlantic salmon populations can potentially be mitigated by release of water from reservoirs during critical periods for juvenile salmon.
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Affiliation(s)
- L E Sundt-Hansen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 5685, Sluppen 7485, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - R D Hedger
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 5685, Sluppen 7485, Trondheim, Norway
| | - O Ugedal
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 5685, Sluppen 7485, Trondheim, Norway
| | - O H Diserud
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 5685, Sluppen 7485, Trondheim, Norway
| | - A G Finstad
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 5685, Sluppen 7485, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Natural History, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - J F Sauterleute
- SINTEF Energy Research, P.O. Box 4761, Sluppen 7465, Trondheim, Norway; SWECO, Professor Brochs gate 2, 7030 Trondheim, Norway
| | - L Tøfte
- SINTEF Energy Research, P.O. Box 4761, Sluppen 7465, Trondheim, Norway
| | - K Alfredsen
- Norwegian Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - T Forseth
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 5685, Sluppen 7485, Trondheim, Norway
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Model-Based Evaluation of the Effects of River Discharge Modulations on Physical Fish Habitat Quality. WATER 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/w10040374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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9
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Hauer C, Siviglia A, Zolezzi G. Hydropeaking in regulated rivers - From process understanding to design of mitigation measures. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 579:22-26. [PMID: 27876387 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.11.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 11/05/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- C Hauer
- Institute for Water Management, Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering, Department for Water - Atmosphere - Environment, BOKU - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Muthgasse 107, 1190 Vienna, Austria.
| | - A Siviglia
- Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology, (VAW) ETH, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - G Zolezzi
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, via Mesiano 77, 38123, Trento, Italy
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